Association Updates
PCSAO testifies in support of HB 283
On Oct. 17, Randy Muth (Executive Director, Mahoning County Children Services and PCSAO Legislative Committee Chair), along with Mary Wachtel (PCSAO Director of Public Policy), testified in support of HB 283 before the House Criminal Justice Committee. Introduced in June 2017, the bill’s purpose is to establish clear jurisdiction for juvenile and probate court decision-making involving abandoned, dependent, neglected and abused children. You can read the testimonies here:
Legislative Committee meets
The PCSAO Legislative Committee met Oct. 16. The agenda included PCSAO policy and legislative updates, ODJFS updates, and consideration of several pending bills. For more details on children services-related legislation, visit
http://www.pcsao.org/public-policy/legislation
and click on “Selected Legislation.” The committee next meets Nov. 20. For more information, contact Mary Wachtel, PCSAO Director of Public Policy,
mary@pcsao.org
.
East Central District meets
The PCSAO East Central District met Oct. 20. Agenda items included East Central Ohio Regional Training Center and PCSAO updates, differential response, trustee and district leadership nominations, and feedback on plans for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) implementation. The district next meets Jan. 19.
Northwest District meets
The PCSAO Northwest District met Oct. 19 under the leadership of its new chairperson, Cassandra Holtzmann, Crawford County JFS. The district finalized its new meeting structure for frequency and location, and set its 2018 schedule. The district discussed comments provided for the master contract, CARA, PCSAO updates, and county highlights. The district will meet next Jan. 18.
Southwest District meets
The PCSAO Southwest District met Oct. 18. Agenda items included ODJFS and PCSAO updates, trustee and district leadership nominations, and feedback on plans for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) implementation. The district next meets Dec. 13.
OCWTP examines training innovations
At its annual retreat, the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program took a closer look at cutting-edge research on training and learning, including spaced interval learning, virtual classrooms, Shadow Box (a cognitive learning experience), post-training surveys, and engagement of multi-generational learners. While the vast majority of OCWTP training continues to happen in the classroom, the program is exploring best practices in distance learning, transfer of learning and knowledge retention, and improving training through feedback. Stay tuned!
Ohio START Steering Committee meets
The Ohio START Steering Committee met Oct. 18 at PCSAO. Discussion focused on trainings for the START PCSAs and their partners, program implementation, and continued support for PCSAs as they look to build their local START program. The Steering Committee will meet next Nov. 14.
Ohio START Lunch and Learn
PCSAO hosted the Ohio START Lunch and Learn Oct. 18 with local community leaders to discuss the pilot project. We were proud to be joined at the event by special guest Attorney General Mike DeWine and representatives from the Clinton County START program, including Kathi Spirk, Gina Speaks-Eshler and their newly hired family peer mentor, Sheldon Greene. Community leaders had the opportunity to learn about the effect of the opioid crisis on kids and to discuss how their entities could assist with the program.
